Synthesis, Fundamental Studies and Applications of Robust Nanocaged Fluorocarbons with Tunable Electronic Properties

化学合成（SYN）计划中的这项研究奖支持Steven H. Strauss和Olga V. Boltalina博士在科罗拉多州立大学研究纳米颗粒的合成、性质和应用，纳米颗粒由60个或更多碳原子的中空笼（称为富勒烯）组成，其中添加了高度氟化的侧基。 这些分子碳氟化合物纳米颗粒，统称为全氟烷基富勒烯，具有一系列独特的特性，使其成为下一代有机光伏系统和其他光化学和电化学器件（包括场效应晶体管）中的电子传输组件的理想选择。 本论文将研究新型全氟烷基富勒烯及其有机衍生物的合成与表征。 他们的氧化/还原性能，气相电子亲合性，在各种有机溶剂和聚合物中的溶解度，薄膜中的电子迁移率，以及在各种条件下的热稳定性将进行研究，这些性能将与新分子的结构，这将是由X射线衍射技术确定。 通过与其他大学和国家实验室的合作，该项目的研究生和博士后研究助理将接触到广泛的化学科学，包括光化学，分子电子学，聚合物化学和薄膜器件的化学物理。这一基础研究将导致改进的有机光化学和分子电子学，并将有助于推进一般的合成方案，缓解能源短缺，减少温室气体，其中最后两个是因为这项研究将显著影响更有效和更持久的太阳能收集器的生产，这将导致它们在我们的社会中更广泛的使用。

This research award in the Chemical Synthesis (SYN) program supports work by Professor Steven H. Strauss and Dr. Olga V. Boltalina at Colorado State University to study the synthesis, properties, and applications of nanoparticles consisting of hollow cages of sixty or more carbon atoms (known as fullerenes) to which highly fluorinated pendant groups have been added. These molecular fluorocarbon nanoparticles, collectively known as perfluoroalkylfullerenes, have a unique set of properties that make them ideal as electron transfer components in next-generation organic photovoltaic systems and in other photochemical and electrochemical devices (including field effect transistors). The synthesis and characterization of new perfluoroalkylfullerenes and their organic derivatives will be investigated. Their oxidation/reduction properties, gas-phase electron affinities, solubilities in a variety of organic solvents and in polymers, electron mobilities in thin films, and thermal stabilities under a variety of conditions will be investigated, and these properties will be correlated with the structures of the new molecules, which will be determined by X-ray diffraction techniques. Through collaborations with other universities and national laboratories, the graduate student and postdoctoral research associate working on this project will be exposed to a broad cross-section of the chemical sciences including photovoltaics, molecular electronics, polymer chemistry, and the chemical physics of thin-film devices.This fundamental study will lead to improved organic photovoltaics and molecular electronics, and will help advance synthetic schemes in general, alleviate the energy shortage, and reduce greenhouse gases, the last two of these because this research will significantly impact the production of more efficient and longer-lasting solar energy collectors, and this will lead to their more widespread use in our society.